PATRIOT
DAY
1 Maccabees, Chapter
10, Verse 8
They were struck with
fear when they heard that the king
had given him authority to gather an army.
The, they,
in this verse were the Hellenized Jews who were losing their power which came
from supporting Greece (King Demetrius). At once they were afraid for their
lives realizing that their power over Jonathan was gone, they decided to leave
Jerusalem. Along comes Alexander Balas who claims to be the son of Antiochus
and the rightful king, he has the backing of Rome. Jonathan plays these two
opponents against each other to make Jerusalem great again. Jonathan then
accepts from Alexander permission to become high priest which he accepts. There
is just one problem; he is not a Levi, only Levis can be priests. Here is high
stakes politicking.
Patriot Day is a day the US remembers the terrorist attacks on
September 11, 2001. This day is commonly referred to as 9-11
(Nine-Eleven). It is believed that 2,977 people died in the attacks.
President George W. Bush proclaimed September 11th Patriot Day in 2002.
Patriot
Day (Sept 11) Facts
·
On
September 11th, US Flags should be flown at half-mast - both on US soil and
abroad.
·
A
moment of silence is held at 8:46 a.m. (EST) across the nation - commemorating
the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center on
September 11, 2001.
·
The
National September 11 Memorial and Museum takes up over half of the destroyed
World Trade Center site. It contains bronze parapets inscribed with the names
of those killed on September 11, 2001 and those killed in the 1993 World Trade
Center attack.
·
Cleaning
up Ground Zero, as the World Trade Center was renamed, took 18 months and 19
days, and was completed in May of 2002.
·
The
Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were once the tallest buildings in the
world and contained enough concrete to build a sidewalk from New York City to
Washington D.C
Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Visit
the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.
·
Observe
a moment of silence.
·
Attend
a 9/11 Memorial Service.
·
Share
with a group of children your memories of 9/11 and how the events of the day
forever changed America.
·
Show
support for local police and firemen as a way to honor the emergency personnel
who gave their lives on 9/11.
·
Firemen
on that day climbed 2200 steps in the stairs of the towers to save lives;
perhaps today would be a good day to climb 2200 stair steps and donate one cent
for each step ($22.00) to a 911 fund that supports the widows and orphans.
This year marks the 101th anniversary of the miracle of the sun
at Fatima in 1917. Mary asks that in order for us to be happy in this life and
the next that we follow her example of prayer, sacrifice and devotion to her
son Christ by making a total consecration to her immaculate heart. This
consecration takes 33 days of prayer and reflection. As it is exactly 33 days
from 9/11 to 10/13 I propose we make a gift of ourselves to Christ through Mary
in preparation of the 101th anniversary of the miracle of the sun.
St. Louis de Montfort
(1673 – 1716) had a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and wrote extensively on the
virtues of Our Lady, what true devotion to her consists in, and how the
faithful need to turn to her as the way to her Son, Jesus Christ. In his
classic writings (The Secret of Mary, The Secret of the Rosary, and True Devotion to Mary) he recommends that the faithful
formally consecrate themselves to the Blessed Mother. For this end he developed
a specific 33-day program consisting of various prayers and readings to help
the faithful detach themselves from the world and bond themselves more closely
with Christ through the example and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
St. Louis de Montfort stands in a long tradition of saints completely devoted
to Our Lady, and his work has been influential in the lives of many other
saints, notable among them is Pope St. John Paul II who took his papal motto,
"Totus Tuus" (Totally Yours) from de Montfort. This "Total
Consecration of Jesus through Mary" consists of an intial 12-day
preparation followed by a period of three consecutive weeks, each week focusing
on a different theme. It is recommended that the consecration be done on a
major feast day of Our Lady, meaning that the preparation would begin 33 days
prior. That is, after the 33-day program is completed, the Act of Consecration
is made on a Marian feast day. Once you make the consecration, it is for life.
It can then be renewed annually. Keep in mind that this is a formal
consecration to Our Lady, not unlike a vow, that is to be done in a solemn
manner. Through this 33-day program you are giving Mary all of yourself -
heart, mind, and soul - in order to bring you to her Son, Jesus Christ. Also,
that she may use you as a holy instrument in her battle with Satan - i.e. this
consecration allows her the free reign in your life to make you holy (as she
assists you, through the Holy Spirit, to conform to her virtues) and to use
your prayers, sacrifices, and sufferings for the greater glory of God.
“The Immaculata alone has from God the
promise of victory over Satan. She seeks souls that will consecrate themselves
entirely to her, that will become in her hands forceful instruments for the
defeat of Satan and the spread of God's kingdom."
- St.
Maximilian Kolbe
“So if the Son
makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
-John 8:36
-John 8:36
Daily Devotions
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